


The Mind and the Heart

by chromochaotic



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 02:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3192023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chromochaotic/pseuds/chromochaotic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mihashi gets cornered by a couple of vengeful opponents, Hanai acts as more than a captain defending his pitcher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in response to a really cute prompt from ghoulish-princess on tumblr, and people seemed to like it! Which I'm super glad about because hanamiha is like 300000% my jam.

"My… teammates, they’re," Mihashi mumbled, chin tucked against his chest. "W-waiting…" he added in a tiny whisper. Despite his body screaming at him to escape back to the bus, he was trapped, and could only stumble farther into the locker room where he’d been cornered. 

"Why do you mumble so much?" the taller of the two boys before him drawled. After a sharp exhale, the same student set his face into a sour frown. "Man, I can’t believe such a pipsqueak pitcher beat my brother. Guess this tournament meant a lot to him or something—he’s still crying in the bathroom about losing that game. Sheesh.”

The student glanced at his lookout, who gave a nod that the coast was clear. Turning back to Mihashi, the tall boy smacked his balled-up left fist into the palm of his right. “Alright. Now I know it doesn’t seem like it, but this’s nothing personal. I just gotta do something for my little bro, you know?”

——

Hanai headed back toward the field at a light jog, scanning the unfamiliar school’s athletic complex. Everyone else was already back at the bus, so when Hanai noticed that their flighty little pitcher wasn’t among them, an uneasy feeling settled in his gut. Maybe Mihashi was just temporarily lost, like Tajima said, or distracted, like Abe thought. But… Just in case, Hanai needed to check.  

It probably had nothing to do with Mihashi, but Hanai noticed a few older-looking students hanging around the baseball field during the game. Just a few minutes ago Hanai had seen them hovering closer and closer to the locker room. 

Yes, they probably had nothing to do with Mihashi. But if they did… Something in Hanai burned at the thought. Quiet, sweet Mihashi, being ganged up on? Mihashi, who was finally getting more comfortable with the other boys (and hopefully, maybe, around Hanai too), being a timid victim again?

The burning feeling in Hanai flared, partially in shame that he’d thought along the same lines as Mihashi’s past bullies. He had to make sure now that Mihashi was alright, and—

_What the fuck did I just hear from the locker room?_

——

Mihashi yelped high and terrified before his voice finally failed him completely. Panic had swirled together with the constriction of the senior clenching his shirt tightly, his other hand poised in the air to— 

“ _HEY!_ " 

Mihashi’s tearful gaze cut over at the same time as the seniors’. In the locker room’s entrance there stood a panting but formidable figure, backlit by the bright summer light. The features within the powerful silhouette were hard to distinguish among the murkiness of the room… except for his fierce eyes, eerily glowing with focus as they took in the scene. 

When that gaze locked with Mihashi’s, the blond shivered at the intensity of it; his mind was filled only with the thought,  _safe_. 

"…You’ll step away from my pitcher, right now, and leave." 

The boy who’d been lookout stepped forward. “And what if we don’t?” Crossing his arms, he took on a self-righteous air. “There’s no way a weak-armed pitcher like this one beat our best batter fair and square. We’ve gotta show that it’s not right.”

"Your best batter knows why he lost, my pitcher can strike him out. It’s no reason to be ashamed." Hanai stared down the boy still holding Mihashi. "You, on the other hand, would disgust him." 

"Wha—" While the grip on Mihashi’s shirt loosened, the other boy seemed to rally with anger. "But, your pitcher—"

“ _My pitcher is amazing,_ " Hanai spoke clearly. "And you will leave him alone," he moved into the other boys’ space, "if you know what’s best." 

The air of the room sang with tension. All the facts of the moment were laid out: Hanai may be outnumbered, but he was right, and with that, more resolved. The other boy finally scoffed and released Mihashi, both seniors leaving the room with little more than some throwaway threat and a glare. 

Mihashi sniffled. The blond seemed shaken, shoulders curved in around himself, eyes glued resolutely to the floor. It made something crack in Hanai. The captain approached Mihashi cautiously, one hand lightly touching his arm. 

Mihashi jerked his face up, keeping eye contact with Hanai even as a few tremors worked their way out of his limbs. ”Hanai-kun… Th-thank you,” he murmured. 

Hanai relaxed a little at the sound of Mihashi’s voice. Letting his wide hand splay and smooth over Mihashi’s shoulder, Hanai stooped to meet his gaze more evenly. “Of course. Are you alright?” 

"I…" The shivering pitcher swallowed, eyes still shining with glassy tears. "Yes, I’m… Sorry. I… I—" Mihashi stopped speaking abruptly as a sob suddenly wracked him.

Startled, Hanai froze up at the worsening of Mihashi’s mood.  _What should I do?_  

Mihashi shrank into himself. “My pitching… ‘s weird, and… Not strong enough t-to… to fight off. Only make… people mad.” 

"Mihashi," Hanai frowned as the pitcher hid his face.

Mihashi shook his head desperately. “I… A-always a… p-problem!”

"Mihashi… Look—please, you’re not—" When he still couldn’t catch Mihashi’s gaze, Hanai felt a flicker of heartache. He needed to help Mihashi; seeing him like this over something truly frightening was killing Hanai.  _Tajima would know what to do_ , Hanai fretted.  _Momokan would know_. Except he didn’t want make Mihashi go back to the team like this, and he couldn’t leave Mihashi alone while he went and asked for help.  _There’s that hand-touching thing he does with Abe._ But Mihashi was clutching his hands over his face, small and scared in front of Hanai. It was unbearable, knowing Mihashi needed something of him and just watching, so Hanai acted on the one instinct that had been rising in him for the last few minutes. _  
_

Slow enough that the blond could move away if he wanted, Hanai wrapped his arms around Mihashi. The trembling pitcher took a moment just to register what was happening. The warm weight of Hanai’s hands resting on his shoulders, the sheltering wall of Hanai’s torso before him… Hanai waited for the twitches of Mihashi’s body to slow and at last, still, before murmuring, “You’re perfect, Mihashi. Your pitching is exactly what we need. And… and you don’t need to fight. You’re strong on your own, but you have a team here for you.” I’m _here for you_ , Hanai added inaudibly. “And you’re not a problem, ever.” Hanai frowned at the way his voice had grown a little rough, but regardless, he emphasized the point with a tightening of his hold.

Moments drifted by as they stood there, Hanai wondering and hoping that he’d gotten through to Mihashi. 

The first reaction he got was the blond carefully moving his hands to Hanai’s shirt, fingers curling in the fabric. Then, with a hiccup of a wail, Mihashi pressed close to Hanai. He was quivering, though; his mind still seemed restless, like he was struggling with some thought.

"…Mihashi?" Hanai considered the fact that Mihashi had trouble accepting compliments as true, and added on, "I’m captain, so you can take me at my word. You’re…" Hanai pushed through the remnants of his flustered mind to conclude, "…you know, you’re, uh…" Well, maybe he couldn’t totally push through his reluctance; Hanai had to turn his head aside, blushing fiercely, to be able to say it: "Y-you’re the heart of my team."

Mihashi, like he was emerging from some shelter, looked up at Hanai in wonder. His lips were pressed tightly together and his eyes were glassy as they searched Hanai’s face. At last, he let out a wet and shivering exhale, before repeating, “Thank you, Hanai-kun.”

All Hanai could do was clear his throat, but he was relieved to finally turn and meet Mihashi’s gaze—only to have his breath stolen. Even though Mihashi’s eyes were red-rimmed and his cheeks shone with tear-tracks and his lips trembled at the edges, in that moment Mihashi made Hanai’s heart skip a beat. The smile that had spread on his face was the most fantastic Hanai had ever basked in. 

The captain felt his flush boil up to his ears. Things only got worse when he realized he still had his arms around Mihashi’s warm, slim frame, and that despite their height difference he was incredibly close to that bright face. “W-we should,” Hanai stuttered, “We should go back to the bus. Everyone’s waiting!” 

Mihashi’s mouth opened, and closed, and opened on a jumble of words, as he too suddenly felt strange about their position. “O-okay!” he squawked. “A-ah, but,” he timidly started, as he and Hanai stepped away from each other. “H-Hanai-kun will stay… with me…?”

 _Stay with…?_  Hanai wanted to ask for clarification, but thought better of it. He knew Mihashi would get anxious about any hesitation, plus… Well, no matter what the words meant, Hanai felt in his bones that he’d do whatever Mihashi needed. “Yes,” he answered.

The tucked-in grin that settled on Mihashi’s face made Hanai feel another wave of heat. The captain simply clenched his jaw and gestured Mihashi forward, though, matching the pitcher’s pace as they walked. 

——

Hanai wouldn’t stray from Mihashi’s side even when they reunited with the team and he had to report in to Momokan; it was like he kept the blond in sight at all times. In the same way, though, Mihashi seemed to periodically check for Hanai’s presence. The team didn’t particularly catch on until everyone boarded the bus. There, the two kept awkwardly making eye contact, hovering in the aisle. Finally, Hanai dropped into a window seat, shoulders hunched up as he deliberately looked outside. Mihashi danced around the row a few moments more, before settling into the seat beside Hanai, hands clasped in his lap.

To those who noticed the exchange, they looked absurd. Uncertain, tall and short, tense… (though, fair enough, Hanai seemed to loosen up once Mihashi sat down, and Mihashi glowed a little brighter when his glances met Hanai’s).

To those who noticed, it was strange. But, in a weird way, they worked. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuUUUUM tiny additional scene becauseireallywantedthemtosmooch haha what

Once the bus got them all safely to Nishiura; once all the gear was unloaded and their day of practice wrapped up; once they'd showered and gotten bundled up to head home, Mihashi lingered just outside the clubroom and waited for Hanai.

Hanai exited the clubroom in such a rush (definitely  _not_  anxious to find Mihashi because the boy had suddenly left his field of view) that he almost missed the little pitcher standing there. 

"O-oh," Hanai fumbled, feeling both concern and the barest hint of amusement that he'd startled Mihashi more than Mihashi'd startled him. "You, uh, ready to head home?"

"Y...yeah!" Mihashi nodded his head rapidly. "But... um..." Gripping the strap of his bag nervously, Mihashi cut his gaze up to captivate Hanai's dark brown irises with his own, almost gold in the fading sunlight. "I... wanted... say, um, H-Hanai-kun--" Mihashi wavered, but kept eye contact, and seemed to steel himself in order to get the final rush of words out: "Hanai-kun was c-cool today!" 

The captain immediately felt his cheeks burning, because the admission was really too much. Mihashi had even risen up on his toes in some physical effort to ride his own momentum in getting the words out. "Really, Mihashi, I didn't do much," he replied, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. Suddenly frowning, Hanai continued, "And I almost didn't make it in time. If... If I'd let those bullies hurt you, I... I don't..." Hanai clenched his jaw. "I don't know what sort of captain I'd be." 

"But!" Mihashi tripped a step closer, one hand clasping Hanai's wrist. "Hanai-kun is a great! C-captain!" 

In the back of his mind, part of Hanai marveled at this scene of Mihashi comforting  _him_  instead of the other way around. Mostly, though, all he could think about was how the pitcher was doing that troublesome thing again, where he brought his face in so close to Hanai's. If Mihashi didn't stop that... 

Mihashi didn't seem discouraged by Hanai's look of shock. Even though the pitcher's own cheeks were starting to tint rose with exertion ( _right?_ Hanai thought, not daring to hope), he pressed on. "B-because, Hanai-kun was really brave today! And... even though... scared," Mihashi glanced away for a quick moment, before reconnecting their gazes and holding Hanai's wrist more tightly. "F-feel safe, with... Hanai-kun!"

Well. Hanai was done for. The captain wasn't sure what his face was doing at this moment, only aware that he had absolutely zero control over it. All he could do was stare down into Mihashi's bright, earnest gaze, the pitcher's cheeks swept with an unbearably cute blush, his wild yet soft hair framing his face in gold; as Mihashi only wiggled closer in some attempt to emphasize his point, as he basically required Hanai to open his arms and support both their weight; as Mihashi's pink mouth stuttered around the word "s-safe..." one more time, Hanai didn't really think about it when he brought his lips down to settle over Mihashi's. 

God, Mihashi's lips were soft. And he felt so warm in Hanai's arms, his body this miraculous combination of delicate and strong, his small, wondrous hands clenching in Hanai's shirt.

It took the captain a moment for his mind to catch up to his body. When it did, he brought his lips away, his eyes opened, and he stared blankly, brokenly ahead. The Mihashi before him didn't even register, as abruptly Hanai's mind could only see the image of a terrified, appalled Mihashi, unable to trust him again after just confiding the safety he felt and oh god what did Hanai just  _do_ \--

Shaking with nerves, the captain finally brought his gaze down to assess Mihashi, scared of what he'd find. 

"Y--Wh. We." The pitcher seemed totally unable to settle on a recognizable word. "Th. Se. Ki..." Then, with a split-second shimmer, Mihashi's eyes widened. "K-kiss! We just! W-we!" As if his neck were on a hinge, Mihashi jerked his head up and down, catching Hanai's eyes and then hiding from them ten times in one second. 

Hanai bitterly resigned himself to treating Mihashi with astronomically higher amounts of caution than he'd been using up to this moment, about to loosen his arms around the pitcher, when, timidly, the blond spoke. 

"H... Hanai-kun?" 

The captain glanced down, surprised. Mihashi didn't sound...  _upset_...

The pitcher moved his lips inaudibly, then pressed them closed. Hanai waited in stunned silence as Mihashi pulled out a real life Finishing Move:

"C-can we..." Mihashi hunched his shoulders, looking vulnerable, and tucked himself more deeply into Hanai's arms. His eyes looked up shyly, chin huddled against his chest, as he asked, "Can we... again?" 

Hanai sent up a prayer. Then, he tightened his hold around the pitcher's waist, tipped them so that his back could rest against the club room's outside wall, and settled in.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! 
> 
> :D If you ever wanna talk rarepairs (or, I'm still taking prompts so if you'd wanna submit something connected to this) feel free to comment here or talk to me on [tumblr](http://www.chromotps.tumblr.com)!


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